


We Were Meant To Be

by Rosemarie42



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2019-08-27 04:30:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 23,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16695472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosemarie42/pseuds/Rosemarie42
Summary: Aaron Dingle meets a stranger one night who’s bleeding and asking for his help, little did he know his life would change forever.Updated every other Wednesday





	1. The meeting

**Author's Note:**

> As always thank you for the comments and kudos

Aaron stops in his track, he hears what sound like a car backfiring, it wasn’t November so he knew it wasn’t fireworks and the street didn’t have that many cars on it with headlights on. If you ask him later why he stopped he could only tell you he had a feeling something wasn’t quite right.

“Help me, please help me”, said a tall blonde hair man staggering in front of him while clutching his side.

Aaron look down to where the strangers hand was to see blood forming on his shit, he helps the man to walk couple yards to where a wall was so he could lean against it, while he called for an ambulance and the police.

“Help is on the way, what happened mate”, ask Aaron 

“Went into a shop and someone came in to rob the place, try to help the shopkeeper and got shot for my troubles”

“Which shop was it” Robert tells him.

Aaron could see the stranger was starting to close is eyes, he may not know much about first aid, but he’s seen enough shows on tv to know this guy needs to stay awake.

“What’s your name?”

“Robert, Robert , Robert Sugden” replies Robert 

“I’m Aaron, the ambulance is on his way”, I need you to stay awake”

When he get no reply he look at Robert to see he’s hardly breathing, where’s the damn ambulance thinks Aaron to himself.

“How much longer till they get here he ask aloud” as soon as the words left his mouth he heard the sirens, a police car speed past him before an ambulance pull up next to him.

Aaron watches as the paramedics take over and rather than walk away, he ask him if its okay if he rides in the ambulance with Robert. 

When they get to the hospital Robert is quickly taken into surgery.

Aaron calls his mum as he is waiting to hear news about Roberts surgery.

“Hi love” said Chas

“Mum, I’m at the hospital”

“I’m on my way there now, what happen?” Aaron tells her about meeting Robert.

“Hang on, did you say Robert Sugden?”

“Yeah”, says Aaron a bit confuse as to why his mother his acting like she may know the guy.

“Tall and blonde with moles on his face” ask Chas

“Why do I get the feeling you know him” replies Aaron 

“He’s Vic and Andy s brother”, says Chas “I’ll let them know what happened along with Diane”

Aaron was in shock he’s heard of the infamous Sugden sibling who slept with most of the women in the village in his time including his brothers wife and his cousin Debbie.

Aaron tells his mother which part of the hospital he is in and waits, soon he was join by the Sugden clan. Victoria hugs him

“Any news” Aaron shakes his head 

“Well that’s not good enough for me” says Diane going to speak to a nurse at the desk.

“I didn’t even know he was back up this way”, says Andy and here I’m hoping he survives.

“How long as it been since any of you’ve seen him” ask Aaron 

“Nine years” answered Vic as she starts crying.

Diane comes back from talking to the nurse,” He’s still being operated on, they say we will know more when he’s out of the surgery”.

They waited for hours, before a surgeon strolls over to them still dress in his clothes from theatre.

“We got the bullet out now, it’s a waiting game we will know more when we wake him up”

“Why haven’t you woken him up” ask Aaron 

“The body has a better chance of healing this way”” replies the doctor.

Two weeks later Robert was deem to be healing well enough to be woken up, Aaron was in his room when he opened his eyes and saw his family for the first time in years. Everyone but Aaron rush to hug him as he sat up in his bed, Aaron didn’t know why he was there or why he visited him everyday since he’s been in. He could say it was because he wanted to make sure he was alright, but there was more and he wasn’t ready to admit it to himself yet.

Robert saw him and smiled “Thank you, you saved my life”

“It was nothing a descent person wouldn’t do” says Aaron 

“Still it’s my life and you stayed with me, when you didn’t have to, so again thank you” 

“You’re welcome” says Aaron 

“See that wasn’t so bad, now was it” replies Robert.

Aaron wondered how someone he barely knew could see that he was uncomfortable getting compliments.

Diane insisted that Robert returned to Emmerdale with them when he was discharged, despite him telling her a hotel would be fine.

“Nonsense”, she said “you need to be around family right now Vic says you can stay with her, it’s gonna take a while till you fully heal. We can all pitch in and take care of you”.

“I can pay a private nurse to take care of me, while I heal, I don’t want to put you guys out”, says Robert”.

“I won’t here of it, you’re staying and that’s the end of it”. 

Robert sight he knew there was no point arguing. 

“You win”, he says.

The drive to Emmerdale from Hotten General was too short for Roberts liking, he found himself remembering the last time he was here, and his father telling him to leave and don’t come back. Robert had to remind himself that he wasn’t that scared teen anymore he was now a successful man, he couldn’t help the expression on his face as he turned his body to get out the car and a sharp pain stops him in his tracks.

Everyone look at him, they could all see just how much pain he was in and the realisation on his face like it just hit him he’s just been shot. 

“Come on” says Victoria, she search through his medication and finds his painkillers, “Sit back down in the car and take these” she says passing him his pills and a bottle of water. 

He sits back down in the car and takes his pills, the pain truly was terrible. When it subsided enough for him to feel semi normal again he ask Vic “which one of these houses is yours?”

“I live in Betty’s old house now, me and my husband Adam Barton”

Robert raises an eyebrow “You’re married” , he says

She nods.

“I actually have a house that I bought recently around here, I know the decorators just finished doing it up. I prefer to stay there, you can come and visit me there, I don’t want to put you and this Adam bloke out”.

“You’re not going to a hotel Robert” insist Victoria clearing thinking that’s what he was trying to do.

“I bought Home Farm, that’s where I’ll be staying” says Robert. “Not a hotel”

Everyone stops in their tracks stunned, everyone but Aaron, Robert took noticed of all their expressions but appreciated Aaron just looking impressed and he quite like that. He could see the Sugden’s had questions but now wasn’t the time for answers, he looks at Aaron “Do you think you could drive me up to Home Farm” Aaron nods and take the car keys from Victoria.

“I’ll call you when I get home” Robert says to them.

Aaron starts the car and he drives them to Home Farm “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Vic so gobsmacked before”.

“Glad I could be of service” replies Robert 

They reach Home Farm, where to Aaron’s surprise the front door is open for them, where a tall man in a suit looks curiously to see who the visitor was as he knew Mr Sugden wasn’t due to be there for couple more days. When he sees the principal(noted that’s what the owners of households with staff is known as)of the house being helped by a man with a beard, clearly struggling to move he rushes over.

“Hello John, I’m going to need a nurse, this is Aaron. I was shot while at the store some time ago he saved my life” says Robert 

“Pleasure to meet you sir, respond John talking to Aaron 

Aaron and John get Robert inside with John leading them to an elevator where he pushes a button and the elevator rises, they get out when it stops and Aaron’s eyes almost bugles out of his head when he sees the room John leads them to, it was opulent it screamed money. 

He wondered how someone leaves town under a cloud and comes back as rich as this, clearly there was a lot not known about Robert Sugden and he was a puzzle he wanted to decipher.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron and Robert get to know each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like as always leave kudos and comments welcome.

The next morning Robert wake up to cold hands checking his pulse rate, he look up at the women dress as a nurse. She notices he’s a wake “Good morning your Grace”

“Just Robert is fine”, he says to her

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, your man Jeeves said to use Sir or Your Grace only I’m afraid”

“Sir is fine” says Robert.

“How’s the pain she ask, I heard you were in quite a significant amount yesterday, the doctor is downstairs he checked on you while you were sleeping, he wants to check you over properly before he goes. I’ll let him know you’re awake.

She leaves the room and Robert arranges the pillows around the bed, the doctor comes in and check him over before leaving him with instructions to rest up.

The nurse who Robert finds out his there to do a twelve hour shift while alternating with another one, helps him to take a shower and when he slides back into the sheets he’s happy to see that they had been change. 

John comes in with a tray of breakfast and a new phone, he starts eating a slice of bacon while going through the phone he’s happy to see it’s been set up, and the usual numbers have been added. John clears his throat. “Mr Dingle left his number along with those of your family, I’ve programmed them in”.

Robert thanks John who bows and leaves.

Robert looks at the time eight am if he’s lucky he may catch Aaron before work, he realises he doesn’t known that much about him, he dials Aaron number before he loses is nerves.

“Hi Aaron thanks for bringing me home last night, if you’ve got time why don’t you come over for dinner later tonight” he waits hoping he doesn’t sound too keen not wanting to scare Aaron off.

He smiles when Aaron says he would love to and he would see him later. He finishes is breakfast and tell John about the dinner guests, when John ask what to make for dinner, he though straightaway lasagna and garlic bread with salad, hoping Aaron would like it. After John left he realise he was still tired and went back to sleep.

Just before six on the dot Aaron rings the door bell, Robert watches him as he comes into the living room casually dressed in black jeans and a blue shirt with a black hoodie over it.

They stare at each other neither wanting to break eye contact till finally Aaron ask “How are you feeling?”

“A Lot better than yesterday that’s for sure, take a seat, drink”

“A beer would be great” says Aaron 

“I know next to nothing about you, tell me something about yourself” says Robert.  
Aaron pause to take the beer being offered to him and look at Robert, “I work at the garage with my uncle Cain, but I have this great business idea. I live at the pub with my mum and your Diane, and”.

“What business idea ask Robert cutting him off mid sentence?”

Aaron is suddenly taken back “You really want to know?” 

Robert nods “ I always though there would be money in scrap, I want to have an empire build on scrap start with one site then build it up to more”. 

Robert watches how animated Aaron is about his dreams, he could see how passionate he was about it, he hears Aaron say “The thing about scrap is, its junk people throw away, they think it’s no good so therefore useless to them, it’s where I come in because I can see the potential in it, stripping it apart until I find something useful in it. Most people can’t be bothered to put the work in and see that something isn’t completely useless” .

Robert thinks to himself you could think that about people giving up on people instead of fighting for them. This guy really is very clever.

“What do you need to start your business?” Ask Robert 

“I’ve been trying to save but I’ve just been made legal guardian of my ten year old sister Liv, our dad died recently and her mother is in no fit state to take care of her. So money is tight right now, I have a place that would be perfect for the business. Eric and Val are fine with me using it for a price”.

“Why don’t I invest in your business”.

“I can’t ask you to do that” say Aaron 

“You’re not” replies Robert “This is me volunteering to do so of my own free will, I’ll get my solicitor to draw up some papers and speak to Auntie Val about the site” John comes in to tell them dinner is ready. 

They make small conversations as they eat “You know I use to work at the garage”, says Robert “different people owned it then of course”.

“Can I ask you something a bit personal”, says Aaron 

“Ask away I can always not answer”, replies Robert.

“How did you end up with all this”, says Aaron 

I don’t want to talk about that yet, but it wasn’t bought about by illegal means”.

“I never thought for a second it was, you’re the only thing people are talking about in the village”.

“Let them talk” say Robert “ They will get bored soon”. 

The evening pass quite pleasantly, Robert told Aaron he was welcome anytime, after that night it became a routine for Aaron to come to Robert for his dinner, after a week he bought Liv as well, she and Robert got on like a house on fire, he even helped her with her homework which she loved. 

A month had pass since that first dinner and Robert knew he had fallen hard for Aaron but was unsure how he felt about him, he was pretty sure he flirted with him couple times so he was sure he was gay. It wasn’t until the night before the scrap yard officially opened its door did Aaron drag him into a room at Home Farm and kiss him. “I wanted to do that for ages, I was waiting till you said the doctor said everything was okay with your recovery”.

“Stay the night”, ask Robert

“There is Liv to consider

“You both can stay, there is enough room and there is clothes that I bought you and her but was unsure about giving you guys”, he says embarrassingly.

“Okay we’ll stay, I’ll just let her know”

That night as they made love, Aaron was in no doubt Robert had fully recovered.

The scrap yard opened and business was booming, his mom had her reservations about Robert but she saw the way he treated Liv and her son and had no objections to them dating not even when she found out that Roberts ex wife was due to give birth in three months

Robert explained to Aaron that his ex wife cheated on him after finding out she was pregnant, she felt trap in the marriage was her excuse, and she was now living with the man she cheated with and didn’t want anything to do with the baby once he’s born. Her new man will marry her only once she’s pregnant with his child ironically, he’s a-bit older and wants to make sure his line continues Aaron remembered thinking what the hell when Robert told him the story.

Robert ask Aaron if he and Liv would move into Home Farm with him after couple months of dating, Aaron discuss it with Liv and they move in one week before Roberts ex due date. Liv loved the space and she learn to ride horses. 

They were all at the hospital when Thomas was born, Robert couldn’t help being angry that not two hours after he was born his ex had her solicitor bring paperwork to the hospital for him to sign, she had given up all rights to him. Knowing she didn’t want him and seeing how callous she was being made his blood boil, even when he told her she didn’t have to do it, they can co-parent she still insist it was what she wanted. 

Aaron was reading the paperwork with Robert in the hospital cafeteria when he notices that Thomas was referred to as Viscount before his name. Robert signs the forms and gives it to Clive his solicitor, who left to file the paperwork. When Thomas was given the all clear they took him home, they gave his ex wife the chance to see him before they left the hospital but she didn’t want to see him. 

The car journey home was subdued, they took Thomas to the nursery while John heat up a bottle for him. Chas, Aaron, Liv and Robert stare at him in his crib.

“You’re not on your own in this”, says Chas 

“We’re a family, and I got a brother to boss around when he’s older, Liv said shyly before looking at Robert and Aaron unsure if she said the wrong thing”. 

Robert kisses the top of her head.

“Aaron look at Robert, why is Thomas a Viscount”

“Because I’m a Duke”, replies Robert.

Chas look shock, she turns to Liv “ When don’t you turn in eh love, school tomorrow” Liv leaves.

John comes in with Thomas’s bottle and Chas goes to the room that Robert said was hers. 

Robert feeds Thomas and winds him, before leaving the room.

They goes to their bedroom “Start from the beginning”, says Aaron


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron and Robert talk about their past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thanks for the comments and kudos

“As you know I left home as soon as I turned sixteen” began Robert

“Andy loves to tell people how you thought, you were too good for farm work, and how you tried to steal Katie off him numerous times”, says Aaron. You’re known as the black sheep of your family and you barely going into the village is just adding to that”.

Robert rolls his eyes and continues “When I was fifteen my father caught me in a room with a farmhand and beat the living daylights out of me for daring to kiss a boy. I decided as soon as I was sixteen I would leave Emmerdale and not come back, Andy was my dads favourite anyway, it wasn’t like I was going to be miss.

I wanted to try to find my birth mothers family, every time I asked my dad about them he told me they wanted nothing to do with me but I kept asking. I knew he never met her family, that my mum was estranged from them. After my dad beat me up I was more determined to find them, I started looking through his papers, found his weird hiding places for documents and found letters my mother wrote to her parents. One day I found a letter with a stamp on that had an address for them, turns out they were writing to my mother, I don’t think she got all the letters as some were unopened still unsealed. I copied down the town and the address on the letter, making sure to leave everything as I found it, so my dad didn’t know it was disturbed.

I got a post office box and wrote a letter to the address explaining who I was, I got a response back saying my grandparents were alive, but the person writing was my mothers brother and a phone number was attached to it. 

I was unsure about calling at first because who’s to say that it wasn’t some weirdo pulling a fast one. So I wrote back and ask him to send something to prove he was who he said he was and he sent a photo of him and my mum as teenagers, we look so alike Aaron”, he says his voice breaking.

We started talking regularly on the phone and I told them about what my dad did with the letters and hitting me and my uncle told me to come stay with him, so I waited till I was old enough that my dad couldn’t say anything and left and moved in with them, they didn’t know about me Aaron or that she died”.

He starts sobbing, “Turns out not long after she met Jack, my uncle Theo found her trying to cover up some bruises, she said she bump into a cabinet but he told me no cabinet leave those bruises only a fist would do that. They persuaded her to leave him but she went back after couple days and moved to Emmerdale with him, my mum pleaded with her family to stay away, she told them he had change and promise to never hit her again but she was smart enough to open a post office box so they could write to her but she died soon after I was born. Jack had her write to them saying they needed to stay away from her or she would disown them. Even though there would be no answers they still wrote to her, so she knew she was always in there thoughts and she could come home at any time.

It wasn’t until later I realise he kept the letters in a filling cabinet for a reason, you wouldn’t really click right away the address my grandparents and uncle wrote to wasn’t the farm but the post office one. The post office address she used was about two hours drive away.

Aaron look him straight in the eye “I realise why there’s no nanny for Thomas, you don’t ever want him to grow up thinking my mother didn’t want me and my father gave me to the help to raise”.  
“I would be lying to say that that didn’t cross my mind, but he will grow up being wanted and loved and I will make sure he knows that, but he will have a nanny. I don’t want my son to grow up ashamed of being privileged or think that nanny doesn’t equal love. I’m sure my father knew my mother came from money, he would not have known how much as she was using my grandmothers last night, but now looking back on my childhood he knew and he took it out on me. He resented me and mould Andy into what he wanted a son to be.

“I got to spent couple years with my grandparents before they died, I got to go to college and even got into university and got a Business and Land Management Degree. My uncle didn’t marry or have kids preferring to stay with my grandparents on the estate. So I was named his heir to the dukedom, for when my grandparents past and they prepared me for all that it entails while they were still alive and I will do the same for Thomas. My uncle died two years ago and some of my happiest memories were with him”.

Aaron hugs him, “I’m going to tell you why I’ve full guardianship of my sister”, he tells him about Gordon abusing him as a child, finding the courage to tell his mum. Making a statement to the police, tracking his stepmother down, how Gordon was killed while they were waiting on the trial to start. How an unstable Sandra became incoherent and he petitioned the courts for guardianship of his sister and the fight he had on his hand before winning and how Liv was thriving in her new environment, happy to have a big family who cared about her at last. He tells him Gordon’s abuse of him wasn’t public knowledge and he wants to keep it that way, not even Liv knows about it but Sandra does.

He ends the conversation by saying how happy he’s been the las few months and tells Robert how his family adores him, and then jokes “if it was up to them we would be married now”.

Robert looks thoughtfully “It’s a ridiculous idea, but let’s do it”

Aaron let out a small disbelieving laugh “You asking me to marry ya?” Then he sees Roberts face “ You’re serious”.

“Aaron we don’t seem to enjoy going slow in a relationship, we have been doing everything at full throttle from the start, what do you say”.

Aaron thought about it “Yes, let’s get the ball moving tomorrow first thing”.

The next day they went and filled in the paperwork for a licence, Chas was so happy to hear the news she volunteered to watch Thomas as she said “He was now her grandson”. They decided to get married at Roberts family estate which was license for weddings.

Aaron and Robert spent the rest of the day looking after Thomas, it was exhausting. Thomas had to be fed and changed every few hours, by the time John came home after picking up Liv at school they were asleep on the sofa with the baby monitor beside them on the table.

At dinner that evening Robert tells Aaron and Liv about the family estate with the understanding the information doesn’t go any further than them Chas and Paddy. 

“They’ll just think we rented it out, so there should be no suspicions. I only allow twelve weddings a year to keep the licence, when you see it you’ll recognise it straight away it’s been used as a set for movies and tv shows”, says Robert.

There are cottages on the estate that’s not being used by staff, I’ll put Andy, Vic and Diane in them”.

Aaron look at him “They will be hurt when they find out the true, you know”

Robert considers for a second “Aaron after I came home from the hospital they barely came to see me, I see them in the village and it’s polite conversations, I get it we don’t really know each other like we use to but I’m always the one making an effort. I’m thirty two I’ve spent more time away from Andy than with him, Diane does her best and Victoria is happily married I’m not a priority in her life I get that.

I’ll make you a promise after we’re married I’ll make more of an effect, but the people around this table and my son upstairs is what’s important to me above all else.

“Fair enough”

The sound of Thomas crying bought the conversation to a halt. “I’ll see to him”, says Robert leaving the table”.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thanks for the kudos and messages.

Upstairs Robert tends to Thomas, he was a father, holding his son was so overwhelming for him still. He was so grateful to have him. Aaron comes Into the room he grabs a bib and take Thomas from Robert to burp him when he sees he has finished feeding him. 

“ I never thought this was something I would get a chance to do”, Aaron look at him “You’re my first boyfriend”

“What! Ever? ask Robert, Aaron nods.

“Wow”, says Robert 

“This doesn’t change anything does it, cause I want all of this with you, I don’t want anyone else. Will never want anyone else but you”, says Aaron.

“Was I Your first”, ask Robert ”

“Yes” replies Aaron “I’m fooled around here and there but not gone all the way before”.

“I’m glad I was gentle the first time”.

Thomas burps and Aaron cleans him up and place him back into his crib.

“Come on let’s go back down stairs. 

When they get back to the dining room Chas and Liv was discussing her bridesmaid dress and the mother of the bride dress.

“I think we should go into Leeds and see what’s available in the shops, what do you think guys”, ask Chas

“I know a good wedding planner, she can help you with the dresses, you don’t need to go to Leeds I’ll have her take you both to Paris and London to speak to some designers who can make dresses from scratch for you or you can look into their showroom”.

“Holy crap, I know you’re rich but wow”, says Liv in awe.

“I can’t believe I get to go see designers me Chas Dingle, you would think it was me living in this big house”, she laughs. “I best be going Paddy is expecting me”, she says.

She leaves and They all go upstairs to see Thomas, Liv crouches down next to his crib and smooth his hair down. “He’s so small we have to love him loads, I’m glad we’re rich. It was no fun not being able to just be a kid, I felt like my mother’s parent at times. The money worries I had when bills came and we didn’t have money to pay is something I didn’t like. I use to be so stress and my mum was just out of it on pills. 

I don’t think I was loved by her, I know she needed me but I used to think why couldn’t you love me enough to get your life together, why can’t I be playing with my friends instead of talking care of you. I’m going to make sure he knows he’s loved, I know you both love me along with Paddy and the Dingles but I didn’t always have that and it took me a while to let myself be love. 

I don’t ever want him to know what being unloved feels like”, she starts to cry “I felt like I was a burden to my mum. I know she’s sick and for now I’ll never seen her again but the pain is still there and Aaron you fought so hard to keep me with you. I think I buried my feelings. 

When I saw how Thomas’s life would be different to mines everything just hit me, I’m sorry Robert you bought your son home and I’m making it about me”.

“What you just said, makes a lot of sense, I tell you what tomorrow I’m going to see if I can find a professional for you to talk to, I think it’s good you opened up, you know when I left Emmerdale I talked to a counsellor for couple months and it really helped me”, said Robert 

Liv wipes her eyes “You did”, Roberts nods

“So are you okay speaking to someone?”

“Yes”.

Robert looks Liv straight in the eyes “Don’t apologise for hurting okay”, he hugs her “Its better we know you’re hurting so we can help you okay”.

“Roberts right, you know, we’re family and family look out for each other, I’m sorry you felt like you, couldn’t talk to me about this before”, says Aaron

‘I always knew I could talk to you, but I didn’t want to burden you and I guess seeing Thomas bought back a lot of memories for me I ‘m sorry Aaron”.

“What did Robert just saying about hurting?”.

“Don’t apologise for it”, he Hugs her.

“I’m off to bed, see you guys tomorrow”

“Night Liv”, they say together 

Later that night Robert ask Aaron what he thought of asking Chas and Paddy to move into Home Farm with them.

“I think it would be a good idea, Liv would love it and Paddy is like my dad and to have them here would be really great. I mean there are 22 bedrooms so it’s not like we would be on top of each other and it would be nice for Liv to have another women around the place and Thomas would have grandparents around him”.

“You know what Liv said about feeling unwanted I was thinking about adopting her, I know Gordon left when she was very small and she doesn’t remember him. It saddens me to know she must of felt unwanted by her mother and her growing up without a father must have been hard. I’ve been there I know how it is to be rejected by a parent, one who puts up with you because they’re forced to by law. Her beginning in life wasn’t great, but Aaron if I can give her security by way of a father’s love I would gladly give it. I’m going to ask her about it and speak to my solicitor if she agrees.

I’m not trying to take anything away from your relationship with her, you’re her brother you have such a special bond. But I really want to do this for her if you allow it”.

“I appreciate what you’re trying to do but really it’s Liv who has the final decision, If she agrees then after we’re married go for it”.

“So, we don’t need to talk to Sandra”, ask Robert 

“No, I have full responsibility for her”, 

“Sandra killed Gordon, she doesn’t remember doing it, she ran him off the road she called my mum while she was doing it he threaten Liv and she lost it. I was already living with Liv at that stage, Sandra thought Gordon wouldn’t dare come to the village as he was worried Cain would kill him so she left her with me. Before planning what she was going to do she went to the solicitors and had the paperwork drawn up and signed.

With my history with Gordon and everything I had to go through a lot of hoops to get her. She thinks her father was killed in an accident because it was rule as one. Thank god because of her age the court papers were sealed and it couldn’t be reported on”

“In the end she thought of her daughter when it really mattered, says Robert sadly. I take it Liv will never know any of this”, Aaron nods.

“Not long after he died Sandra made me and those who know the truth promise to never tell her, she had a complete breakdown weeks later, she’s in a secured unit at the moment. It’s been just over a year since Liv was made legally my responsibility still want to marry me?”

“The four of us are a family now Aaron”, We deal with the good the bad and the ugly together.

The next morning Robert got up to see to Thomas “Sleep I’ll see to him, you have been up most of the night”, Aaron says to him.

“You’ve gotten up as well”, replies Robert 

“I don’t mind get some sleep”, Aaron get up and put his robe on leaving the room.

“Morning little man, lets change that stinky nappy of yours then you can have some milk”.

After cleaning and changing Thomas, Aaron walk the both of them to the kitchen where John was sat reading the paper. He get up when he sees Aaron.

“I’ll make a bottle up for him, your sister has requested pancakes for breakfast” say John 

“Again?, what’s that eight days straight she’s had it, you do make amazing pancake though”.

Robert comes into the kitchen “Morning”

“I though you were sleeping in”, 

“I was going to, then I remember I had to sort something out for Liv. I’m hoping she can be see by someone I know who has a practice in Leeds today”

“Do you think they will see her that quick though”, ask Aaron 

“Money talks, beside Barbara owes me a favour I donated a lot of money to a charity she heads up”. Aaron takes the warm bottle from John and Robert test it on his arm before giving it to Thomas. Aaron follows Robert out of the kitchen into the living room where he continues to feed Thomas while Robert has a conversation on his phone. 

Robert hangs up the phone just as Live walk into the room.

“Morning, how you feeling after yesterday”, he ask her

“A bit stupid but better”, she replies

“You have no reason to feel stupid, it’s better it’s out. My friend Barbara can see you at 4:30 today if you ready to do this”. 

“I’m and want to do this”

“I’ll text her to let her know you will be there, John will take you and pick you up from your appointment, or we can take you if you want”

“You can take me to future ones but Thomas is just a few days old I’ll be fine I promised”.

“Before I forget”, say Aaron, “We are going to ask mom and Paddy to move in here, what do you think”, Liv beams at him. “That will be amazing I can’t wait, I better go eat breakfast it’s almost time for John to take me to school”.

Robert goes over to Aaron and smooths Thomas hair “That went well, we just have to ask your mum and Paddy now, do you think they will say yes”

“Rob they think the sun shine out of you, I’m sure they will say yes, we should ask them today”.

“I’ll ask them if they can come round later I don’t want to go outside with Thomas till I have no choice, I don’t want him catching any bugs going around”.

“Are you going to tell other people about Thomas beside my mom and paddy”

“Not yet I just want us to spend some time with him bonding first, the nanny will be here in six week”.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you’re all still enjoying this, as always thank you for the kudos and comment

“Thomas has a visit from the midwife today at 11am, will you be here?”

“The scrap yard is doing well, I’ve got Adam in charge, he thinks I’m on holiday besides it’s my business well ours after we’re married”, he says cheekily. He’s grateful I gave him a job he hated it on that farm he’s desperate to prove himself to Vic”.

“I can’t get over you being good friends with my sisters husband”

“Adams is a sound bloke and he was really there for me when I came out”

“Do you want to tell him about the baby” ask Robert 

“I think I prefer us to be married first, I don’t want Andy and Katie finding out about Thomas yet, she is very bitter she’s not the one here with you. I want us to be cemented as a unit, I don’t trust her”.

“Aaron I don’t want her, will never want her, she can try but she will never succeed in getting me”.

“Yes she will try, that’s the problem the baby will let her know you enjoy women as well”.

“She think I’m gay”

“Robert I’m sure you know she likes a challenge, I trust you one hundred percent it’s her I don’t trust, come on I’ll put Thomas down for a nap then we can have some breakfast mum and Paddy should be here in a bit

Chas was happy to be ask to move in and said yes in an instant “Are you sure you want us here”, ask Paddy.

“Paddy you’re married to my mum, of course I want you here you’ve been my dad for years now, we want you here”. Aaron understood Paddy was scared Robert may not want him to move in and needed to be reassured. 

The midwifes visit was great, she said Thomas was doing well, she asked if Aaron was going to be the other parent and Robert said yes. 

“If you want him to make medical decisions about this one here, you need to get the ball rolling on that pretty quick I can’t tell you the amount of babies I’ve seen where something had to be discussed about but the partner who was the only one in the room couldn’t be given the information. If this one needs to go to the GP Aaron couldn’t take him by himself”.

“Thank you for the heads up, I’ll show you out”, Robert closes the door behind the midwife “She has a point do you want that responsibility Aaron I know when we marry, you’ll be a step dad but do you want to play an active role. A Parental order can be done or”

“Adoption”, finishes Aaron. 

“I’m leaving the decision up to you, you will have legal responsibility for Thomas till he’s at least eighteen that’s a lot to ask of you”. 

“You didn’t hesitate for one second about Liv you knew you wanted to do that for her”.

“That doesn’t mean you have to do it for Thomas Aaron, you can just be his stepdad if that’s what you want”

“I could have left the relationship when I found out you had an ex wife and a child on the way, but I didn’t, if I didn’t want the baggage you bought to this relationship I could have bolted a long time ago but I didn’t. I’m in this relationship with you and my eyes are wide open, ultimately right now I have no rights to him he’s your son I respect that”

“I want him to be ours Aaron, our son but you’re still young, what if you decide later you want a son that’s blood related to you”.

“That’s what surrogates are for, but it won’t change Thomas being our child just like if my sperm was use for the next child doesn’t take away from him or her being your son as well, I don’t want to get a call from Thomas’s nursery or a doctor saying something is wrong to get there only to be powerless to make decisions while he gets sicker, just like I’m sure if it was Liv you would feel the same way”.

“So do you want to do this then adopt Thomas?”

“Yes just like you want to adopt Liv, you need to talk to her about that, once we marry we will all have the same last night. 

“Officially it’s the duke of well you know, and Liv once she’s officially mine will officially be style lady Olivia”.

“She will go nuts at that, I was actually thinking about your idea to move her to private school and I think it’s a good idea, mum and Paddy will be moving in here and they’re the most important people in the village to us. I know mum is sick of working in that pub and it would be nice for her to meet new people her age try different things get out of her comfort zone look how happy she was at the thought of going to Paris”.

“I’ll talk to Liv tonight about the adoption then we’ll both sit down with her and talk about her changing school, hopefully by the time she starts secondary school the adoption process should be over. I’m hoping she feels more confident in herself by then and we all will have the same last name so she should feel more secure, rooted”, Robert looks at Aaron who nods.

They decided to take Thomas for a walk around the grounds, as they walk Aaron had a thought “When we get married they have to say your legal name right, so will the others not find out you’re a duke, I mean will there not be people there who will address you like that or call you sir”.

“They will use Robert Merrick, and most of my friends called me Robert, the people from the village will just think people are polite calling me sir. John will deal with the staff it’s his job to oversea them”.

They got back to the house and Aaron was taking care of Thomas while Robert was on the phone to their now solicitor to get paperwork drawn up for the adoption of both Liv and Thomas. Aaron told him to get the ball started for Liv as well as he was sure she would be okay with it all. They had a late lunch then went over the wedding menu with John. Aaron wandered how he got so lucky he didn’t know it but Robert starting at him was thinking the exact same thing. 

Aaron went to the pub to see his mum when Liv came home from school so Robert could talk to her and she didn’t feel like because Aaron was there she couldn’t say no. 

“Hiya love what you doing here?”

“Thought you may like to go for a walk I don’t want our conversation to be overheard”.

“Give me a minute I’ll get my coat, Paddy”

Later as they were walking Aaron tells Chas about both adoptions

“You were both lucky to find each other people in this village don’t really know Robert and Andy gossiping isn’t helping. Katie wants him, she thinks he’s gay but still wants him I can’t wait till you guys are officially wed. I think it’s good that Liv changes school and I’m glad she has some new friends as well at least when she gets there she will know people.

You know I’ve been thinking since you guys ask me to move into Home Farm I would love to go to college, you know I’ve been thinking about leaving the pub I’m thinking about selling my shares”.

Aaron taken out his phone “Here is the number for Robert well our solicitor give him a call, he’s all our solicitor now according to Robert even Paddy’s. He will tell you what to do, you don’t have to worry about paying him either”.

As Chas tells him more of the gossip going around the angrier he got “You know Robert was saying with you guys moving into the house, there won’t be much of a reason to come to the village after I told him about how you feel about the pub. I thought he was maybe not wanting me to associate with a lot of the people I know here, but I understand it now we have homes in three different countries and we actually have a country house here, why would we come here and subject ourselves to gossip and such vicious gossip at that”.

“Aaron he’s protecting his family, let him”

“I will mum can’t wait till you move in that’s next week right?”

“Yes, I’m going to get a van to pack me and Paddy up, the rest of the family offered to help but what with Thomas I said no”.

Aaron hugs her “Come on let’s get back, mind if I take couple bottles back with me”.

“Go ahead love”. They walk back to the pub and Aaron is at the bar helping himself to a packet of crisp and an orange juice when he hears. 

“Well if it isn’t lady muck, what are you doing here Robert got bored of you? Someone like him with all that money wasting it on you”.

“Let me guess he’s should be spending it on you instead don’t you have a husband?”

“Does Andy know that you’re craving his brother, here’s a heads up for you there won’t be a love triangle. Did you always resent your husband or is it just Roberts money you’re after”.

Katie opens her mouth and closes it again, Chas comes from around the back “Marlon said you called our Aaron lady muck, right you’re barred”.

“I’m not having homophobia in this pub”.

 

Aaron finishes his drink and crisp then take some drinks from the bar, he notices Charity doing a list of what he’s taking he looks at her and she winks at him.

He walks out with the items and Charity says wait “Give Liv these for me, she gives him a box of crisp and don’t for one second thing think I’ll take money from you or Robert for the items you took. I hear the horrible stuff people are saying be happy and forget everyone else, the Dingles always got your back remember that”.

“Thanks Charity, I appreciate it”.

When Aaron gets home he takes the stuff to the kitchen and leave it for John to put away. He finds Liv and Robert in the study with Robert teaching Liv to play chess. He clears his throat they stop playing “I’m going have a title”, she shrieks.

“It’s definitely what you want?”

“Yes, Robert said there was something else as well but we had to wait for you to talk about it”.

Aaron sits down “We thought maybe you would like to change school to the one your friend Emma and Sarah are going to in September”. He and Robert watch her to see her reaction and she smiles “Yes please, I don’t have a lot of kid friends in the village apart from the Dingles and since we moved in here, I hear people saying unpleasant stuff when they think I can’t hear. I was wondering him if I could have a sleep over this weekend”.

“If it’s find with Robert it’s find with me”

“He already said yes we were just waiting on a yes from you”.

“He’s gonna be your dad Liv if he says it’s okay you don’t need me to okay it, especially with things like sleepovers”.

“”Okay, I’m going to call my friends and let them know the sleepover is on, then I’m going to see John about showing us how he makes his brownies”.

She leaves and Aaron kisses Robert, 

“Not long to go then we will be the Merrick family officially”, 

“Let’s get this slumber part out of the way first, a new baby and a gaggle of girls what have we let ourselves in far”, says Aaron.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As always thank you for the kudos and comments

Aaron was forever grateful to have help, Robert had one of the housekeepers from the country house come for the weekend and she turned out to be a big help with the girls and when Aaron’s mum moved in Robert had her stay full time at the house.

One week before the wedding they moved to the family seat in the country Liv was in her element she spent most of the time horse riding her new favourite pastime. Aaron wasn’t surprise to see everything was sorted out for the wedding there was no last minute things to do but he suppose when you pay the best people you get a quality service and he knows as nice as John is, he runs a tight ship.

Robert was telling Liv to behave as he helped her in the back of a car so their driver could take her to his best friend Poppy’s house for the night. She was going to see Emma, Aaron waves goodbye to her. Ninety percent of Liv’s friends were Roberts’ older friends kids, some of his friends who’s family seat were nearby his bought a house near them at Home Farm. Aaron thought in a way they were like the Dingles always looking out for each other the only difference being they have money and titles or one of their grandparents had a title.

He realises he didn’t mind, Liv was spending a month with various friends of theirs in the summer and he didn’t have to worry if it was safe or not he’s met them all and most have known Robert since he was sixteen. He got to admit it was weird when most of their friends house he went to had staff working there but now he doesn’t notices it.

The nanny came out the house with Thomas in her arms “You said you wanted to know when he woke up”

“Thank you Margaret”. He takes Thomas from her and kisses his cheek “We are going to take him for a walk can you get him ready please”.

“Of course”, says Margaret.

They came back from the walk to see Dinner was ready they sit down to eat with Chas and Paddy “I like Margaret she’s lovely”, says Chas.

“Nervous for the wedding”, ask Paddy 

“No”, they say in unison 

“I’m glad Margaret is here to look after Thomas at least I know that she will make sure no one gets a peak at him. I’m not going to lie I don’t even want people to know about him till the adoption of him and Liv as gone through”, says Robert 

“I looked up that nanny college Margaret went to, did you know there was a documentary on it on the tv”, ask Chas.

“What really”, says a surprise Aaron

“They are nanny and highly trained Bodyguards in one, laughs Chas. How many acres is there again Robert”

“Twenty thousand in total plus there is couple streets in the city centre and lots and lots of houses”, came the reply.

“That’s why you studied land management and business to make sure it stays in the family, I’m super proud of you, you know”.

“Yes Aaron that’s why and I’m proud of you, your scrap business is doing well and you’re looking at opening another one”.

“We’re both happy and proud for what you’ve both achieved”, says Paddy

“Liv is a social butterfly and I’m really happy to see that, she’s been through enough for a lifetime. She is genuinely happy those friends of hers are great. I heard her say she didn’t think she was capable of doing something and they all encouraged her and told her she was capable”, says a smiling Chas.

“She’s going to do some more etiquette classes over the summer with her friends while she’s away. Poppy is taking all the kids to lunch in London for their final lesson at a hotel”, says Aaron.

“So Chas have you thought about what course you want to study yet”

“No Rob, I’m still thinking about it”.

The wedding day was beautiful, they took lots of pictures and when all the guess were being shown to their seat at the reception, they bought Thomas downstairs and took pictures with him as well, there was enough security to make sure no guess was walking around the place when they shouldn’t be.

As they were eating they hear “Really Robert, how dare you ban my wife from coming here, I thought she was running late, that’s why she chose to stay at a hotel last night”.

“Actually”, says Aaron it was me and she should have told you I banned her homophobic ass from this wedding”.

“I’m not having this, you’re out of order”. Security comes in and escort Andy out the room everyone continues eating and then it was time for the toast Aaron and Robert made everyone cried with their speeches. 

When the reception was over they said goodbye to everyone from Emmerdale. The nighttime reception was for their closet friends the Dingles were there, they understood the need for discretion and just act like they were leaving, with everyone that the boys were comfortable with at the smaller reception they enjoyed it and let their hair down.

The Dingles left the next day and Robert and Arron kissed Liv and Thomas goodbye before leaving them with Chas and Paddy and the nanny and going on their honeymoon. They spent a week in the Caribbean and a week in Dubai.

When they went back to Worcestershire they felt rested and relaxed they made their way back to Home Farm and Arron was surprise to see a Range Rover in the driveway “Have we got visitors, I thought it was just us”.

Everyone went in the house and Robert called Aaron outside again, he dangles a set of keys to Aaron “‘This is for you” Aaron kisses him “Thank you”.

When the adoption papers came through they threw a party to celebrate all their friends along with Diane and Victoria came. Robert decided to see if anything could be salvage with the Sugdens but they cornered Robert in the kitchen asking him how come they had to find out this way when everyone else knew.

“ You took Andy’s side when he got mad bout Katie and the wedding, Aaron told me to give you a chance because maybe you felt like you had to choose between your brothers but the reality is I don’t, you could’ve been happy for us but no you felt like I owed you something. I’m done please leave and don’t come here again none of you”.

They didn’t protest they just left, Poppy comes in the kitchen “I’m sorry Robert you just remember you have a beautiful family they’re your priority now and always. Did they even look for you when you left home or when Jack died. This is a celebration you have a daughter who wants to dance with her father, go dance with her. There is a house near us that’s up for sale, something to think about”.

Robert leaves and joins the party he dances with Liv and Aaron and had a goodnight. When he was making a speech about how special Olivia Merrick is and how happy he was, he realised what Poppy was telling him, he needed to let go of the Sugdens for the sake of his family. That night he brings up the possibly of moving near to Poppy.

“We both saw you go into the kitchen with Victoria and Diane, I told her to go talk to you she told me about the house after she came out the kitchen. I think it’s a good idea, mum and Paddy will move with us I asked them. Mum can still continue her AAT accounting course and Paddy has been offered a partnership in a vets near the other house. We could just live in the country full time I don’t mind”.

“What about your business?”

“I’ve a good manager running it, I don’t need to be hands on anymore and Cain can checkup on it for me from time to time. I’ll talk to our business manager and sees what they think, I want the business to stay there I owe Adam for standing by me like he did when I came out”.

Why don’t we take a week to decide and talk to the family about it tomorrow at breakfast”, okay Aaron.

At breakfast they talked to the family about it, Paddy said he was keen to take the partnership as it was a new and exciting challenge for him, Chas said she can still do her course living in the country house and she realised living at Home Farm how much she liked the quiet and she actually would like to move. 

When it was Liv’s turn she said she just started a new school and she knows that if they moved full time to the country house some of her friends family would too because all of Roberts friends seem to can’t function being too far apart from each other but she would miss all her friends. She also ask if she can go to boarding school next year with Emma and Lucy and some other friends, she also pointed out that it would be great as she would be in the same county to them.

“Would you really not mind being at boarding school?”, ask Aaron 

“One thing I’ve learnt from what dad went through with Jack and seeing how close he is to his friends, is friends can be family when you have none and if you can find a good bunch who genuinely like you keep them close. I know it’s okay to be me you guys taught me that. My friends and I laugh and do things a preteen should I don’t need to carry on like I’ve a chip on my shoulders anymore. I can cry and be vulnerable with them and don’t feel like a weirdo, I can have arguments with them and know that they’re not going to say we don’t want to be your friend anymore or be mean to me.

They’re not mean girls and I know I will encounter some of those girls at school I did at my other one but I know my friends will fight in my corner against them for me because they love me and care for me. My other school wasn’t that great and knocked my self esteem and confidence.

“I told Emma and the others about having to take care of my mum and they said I was brave, you know my old school friends bullied me and made me think I was worthless. If I meet Emma and the others and we were all poor they would still have my back. So yet I’m okay with going to boarding school, and being with my circle of friends, look at that, those counselling sessions really paid off hey”

Everyone wipes their eyes, “We’re all very proud of you, you know Liv”, says Robert 

“I know dad she says, I know”.

The decision at the end of the week was to move to the country permanently In a years time. Chas and Paddy would move there permanently straight away so she can continue her studies as it was still early into the school year and he could settle into his new job. Aaron and everyone else would move in a years time, Liv would stay at her current school and they would move near Poppy.

Chas and Paddy would come to stay with them and they would spent weeks in the country it worked for them.

A year after Thomas was born they decided to have another child they used Roberts sperm Aaron didn’t mind he came to understand the need for a spare and a heir in his new world. 

When their new son James was two and Thomas was four they had two more children twins fathered by Aaron a boy and a girl Robert adopted them and Aaron joked he was the only one in the house without a title. Chas and Paddy had moved out by then into a house close by his practice, Chas worked with him and did the books she was studying to be an accountant.

Life for Aaron was perfect, it was forever changed by one phone call from Leeds.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thank you for the kudos and comments

Aaron and Robert get to the hospital and locate Rachel’s hospital room they were shock at what they saw, her face was very swollen and she was wincing just from trying to move in the bed. 

“Don’t try to move, what the hell happened”, ask Robert 

“David he went mad when he found out that I didn’t really lose the baby, that I had an abortion instead. I really thought he was going to kill me, I couldn’t bring a child into that environment. I was so in love with him and thought he was being manly when he did certain things but after we got married he changed and by then he had ostracise me from my friends.

“I have to ask did he force you to give up Thomas” ask Robert.

“I’m ashamed to say I made that decision on my own, I was very selfish back then. I loved the excitement of being with someone new and Thomas was an inconvenience to me. Now I’m glad I have him, I was wondering if I could maybe meet him, when I stay with you when I get out the hospital”

“I’m really sorry this happened to you, but you haven’t ask me if you could stay with me, if you did I would say no, you had so many opportunities to meet him and you chose not to. My priority right now is my sons well being Aaron and I are his legal parents. We dictate what we want for our son not you. I will not be emotionally blackmail by you, you need to rest, this is a private room. I’ll make some calls and get a security guard for your room, where is David now?”

“He was arrested and hopefully charged” 

“West Yorkshire police have been cracking down on domestic violence, I’m sure he will be charged”.

“He’s not here, he’s still in Hampshire” says Rachel

Aaron and Robert look confuse “Why are you in Leeds then”, ask Aaron 

“Money talks and all that, after I was seen in A &E and gave my statement to the police, I ask to be flown here I knew you would take care of me, so no security needed. The embarrassment for David personally and professional is going to be great for me to watch unfold. I’m going to stick around for a while get to know my son”.

“You’re free to do what you want with your life you’re a grown women but you’ve had a place in Leeds for years, I know I bought it for you and I gave you ample chances to get to know your son and all FIFTEEN times you didn’t want to know. I’m genuinely glad you got out of such an awful situation and you’re free of him but get yourself together before you make threats”.

He signals to Aaron and they get up and leave, later they were in the car when Aaron says,“That was a bit harsh don’t you think she’s just been beaten up”.

“She and I have Mutuals friends that she still speaks to that she doesn’t know I still see. I wasn’t as open with my friendship group to her as I’m to you, they saw through her right away, I was too blinded by lust to see her for what she really was. She doesn’t know Poppy is my best friend, I listened to them in one regards about her. I didn’t share the truth of what happen to me to her. Looking back she really didn’t want to know any details anyhow. I made her think my good friends were just acquaintances nothing more. They wanted to protect me when it went south and I agree to it. 

One of them told me six weeks ago that she would be making” A play for Thomas, that was Poppy’s exact words. She says “Rachel thinks she can’t get pregnant again and was planning on saying I forced her to give up Thomas and she wanted him back hoping her husband would name him as his Heir but Thomas doesn’t have his blood so he can’t inherit anything”

“That makes no sense she told everyone around a dinner table that if it wasn’t too late she would have aborted Thomas and that when the baby was born she wanted nothing to do with it, that’s what you told me and even Poppy told me that once when we stayed with her”, says Aaron.

“She has no rights, you adopted him. I will help her find her feet I’m not heartless but I don’t want her near Thomas. I’m going to double the bodyguards he has watching him and I’ll make sure that there are bodyguards watching the nannies they don’t know about.

“You’re right Thomas’s welfare comes first he’s four, he’s at the age he can remember. Legally you’ve done nothing wrong here Thomas doesn’t know her and she doesn’t have a leg to stand on”.

Two weeks later Robert got a text from Rachel to say she was out of hospital and was on holiday in the Caribbean. He replied she should have some counselling he would pay for it and she should take some time for herself. As they were at the dinner table Robert got a text from her saying thanks and she was going to do her best to get her shit together. He showed her text to Aaron.

“Everything alright love” ask Chas

“It’s about what we were talking about earlier, just a thank you text”, say Robert. 

When the twins are two Aaron and the family move to Glasgow Aaron was inspired by his mum going back to school and he realised after watching Paddy do surgery one day on a dog. He wanted to volunteer at the vets Paddy worked at. He started asking questions of Paddy and his partner about how you become a vet, they saw he was serious and pointed him in the right direction. 

He found he didn’t mind studying this time round he found it easier, and if he was being honest with himself he was surprise at his capability. There was no hectic, turbulence in his home life like the first time round when he was living with his dad or he just came to live with the Dingles. He found it a very wonderful experience and he made friends something he didn’t really have the first time round.

It took him two days to check if he had got into his first choice university, Paddy and his partner Neil kept reassuring him he’s was a shoe in, he had completed the required hours at the surgery paid and unpaid and they reminded him that he told them the interview stages went okay. When he finally checked and saw he got into two of his three choices he was blown away. Glasgow was his top choice not only was it a good school but he knew Liv wanted to go to St. Andrews to do a Art degree so they would be all in Scotland together.

Robert loves living in Glasgow, he loves seeing Aaron so focused and determined, he had to travel to London and back to the country a lot and his friends didn’t move with him this time. So it was five years of them visiting each other. They had two full time nannies by the time they got to Scotland who travelled up with them. Liv would come by some weekends but she wanted the university experience and he and Arron didn’t want her to feel she couldn’t have that. She did have to have two bodyguards with her at all times but they were discreet. Every since he was shot and his ex showed up those two things have always been non negotiable and everyone understood that. He laughs as he remembers him and Liv going to see the chancellor of Liv’s university to explain that Liv was having protection at all times. “Your grace, that will not be a problem we’re use to it, Lady Olivia’s professors will be made aware of it.”

Robert is brought out of his thoughts by Aaron kissing him, “I didn’t hear you come in”

“You seemed very deep in thought”

“I was thinking how much I love it here”

“It’s different but I don’t think I could leave the country, I was thinking the other day how one day Paddy and I could own the vets together and maybe then me and one of the kids”.

“For now it’s nice to have something different, it’s nice just being here with you and the kids in our own little bubble, before you know it time will fly by”.

“Robert was right of course Liv finished her degree and got a job at a Art gallery in London.

When Aaron graduated they move back home to the country and Aaron started working with Paddy and Neil at the surgery, it was nice to work normal hours again for him. All the kids were at school Thomas didn’t want to go to boarding school till later so,It was wonderful for Aaron and Robert to have him home with them. 

Aaron still had his scrap yard business and now had over 150 yards to his name he was very proud of all he achieved for someone people were quick to give up on.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing Gabby and Liv in this. As always thanks for the kudos and comments.

Aaron look around the room everything was perfect, “Don’t worry Aaron it all looks good”. He was throwing a party to celebrate his and Roberts ten year wedding anniversary. When Robert came into the room he was blown away by it all. 

Robert look around the room and kiss Aaron and hug Poppy, “Thank you this is wonderful”

“You know Robert If your hubby wasn’t a vet I would say he would have been a great party planner”.

He laces a hand through Aaron’s “He has great taste what can I say”.

Aaron had a portrait done of all the kids and him painted for Robert, as he unveils it he watches as all the kids hug Robert who starts to tear up.

Later that night as they were lying in bed Robert ask Aaron “Truthfully all those years ago when you saw a bleeding man who asked you for help did you think it would lead here”

“What married with 21, 11, 9 and 7 year old kids”

“I meant happiness like this”

“Why help me I could have just committed a crime, I could have just done anything, I could have lied about how I got shot, you weren’t the first person I asked for help, but you were the only one who did”.

“If I needed help I hoped someone offered it to me, do unto others as you would want them to do to you”.

At the breakfast table Aaron looked at Poppy and her family, and his mum and Paddy and his six year old brother James and his eight old brother Arthur. The Dingles that came and some other friends and smiled. He poured Jacob a glass of orange juice before ruffling his blonde hair then sat back and relax he was truly happy in life.

A week later Robert and Aaron got a phone call from Charity to say that Diane was diagnosed with cancer and she thought Robert may want to know. Aaron and Robert decided that they would go back to Leeds they hadn’t set foot there in ten years Poppy would have the kids for them for a week. They remembered the unpleasant memories and didn’t want to subject them to that.

They still had their old house in Leeds they had been renting it out but they decided to stay there as it was free and it was gated so was secured, Robert had some of the security go ahead of them to Leeds to secure the house more. They told Liv they were going to Emmerdale and she ask to come along. 

They asked her if she was sure and she said yes, she had no more ghost to exercise there, they all decide to be very careful of the information they give out to people while there. 

Two days later Robert knocked at the back door of the pub “Robert come in, she is in the living room”

“Thank you Charity”, she hugs Aaron and Liv “Good to see you yeah, now walk in the pub through the front”.

They smiled at her and go round the front when they walk in you could hear a pin drop they sit down and Aaron takes the chance to look around in ten years not much had change still the same old faces and a few new ones. 

“Aaron how wonderful to see you, is this… it can’t be.. omg Liv haven’t you grown it’s been years. You’re both looking well”. Aaron had to give it to Charity despite seeing them only minutes ago she was playing a blinder.

“Yes it’s good to see you too”

“Charity can I place a order for an orange juice for me and a”

“J20” for me”

“Anything else Aaron”, he looks at Liv she shakes her head.

“Two drinks coming up”.

“Omg Liv sounded like beyond posh have you seen the clothes she’s wearing they’re Uber expensive I mean Uber I saw her coat in a magazine once it’s £1500 for it, the whole outfit she’s wearing is about five grand”.

“Gabby pipe down the whole pub can hear you”, says Bernice 

Liv smiles her old bully, leader of the mean girls was going on like that and she couldn’t care less.

When the drinks arrived she finishes it in record time, they were about to leave and meet Robert at the car when Katie comes in and sees them she smiles, “He’s got rid of you I see, why would someone like him want someone like you a no hoper, come back to Emmerdale with your tails between your legs I see. Didn’t you adopt his kid and him Liv my how the mighty have fallen, what got nothing to say”.

Aaron knows security is behind him and can see one of the security team nursing a brew in front of them, as Katie walks closer to him and Liv he sees the one in front get up from his seat and can hear the one sitting behind him get up and his behind Katie.

Aaron gives a signal and the one behind Katie makes like he was going to the bar, and the other one sits back down.

Robert came out the back of the pub Katie seems him, he kisses Aaron and takes a seat by him. Charity brings over a menu and they place their orders, Charity goes over to the security guys and they place a food order as well.

As they’re eating Gabby comes over to the table “Liv it’s lovely to see you, you look so nice”

“Refresh my memory who are you again”, she smiles “Thank you for the compliment but from what I understand it’s the price tag of my clothes that you like”, she returns to eating. There is some sniggering heard in the pub.

“Lets go Gabby”.

Several people come up to them and say how nice it was to see them they eat and leave. They went back to the house to find Chas and Paddy there “Did you really expected Poppy not to tell us you went back to the place that treated all three of you like pariahs”.

“Mum you didn’t have to come”

“Your brothers will be fine with our nanny”.

“What did Diane say”, 

“She wanted to apologise for her behaviour in the past. The cancer is stage one so she is very lucky and she wants to know if she can see Thomas.

“What is it with women and trying to emotionally blackmail you to see your son”, says Chas

“Please tell me you’re not going to that”, says Paddy “Its a slippery slope, next it will be can they come to the house, can you buy them a house, Rob they think you have maybe twelve to fifteen million tops can you image if they find out you’re worth over two billon instead. I highly Doubt they read the finically times and know the truth”.

“I told her no, but I also said I would pay for her to see someone privately, but she turned me down”.

“Why would anyone with cancer turn down a chance to jump the queue it makes no sense”, says Liv

Robert calls the head of security in “I know Poppy’s families have their own security at all times but how much did you send with the kids”

“One for each of them, do you think someone may snatched them”, he ask looking very concern

“Something doesn’t feel right here, let me ask you if you had cancer and someone offered to help you by paying for you to be seen privately wouldn’t you jump at the chance”, says Robert 

Since you payed for my mother to have treatment you know I would in a heart beat”says Pete 

“Diane says she has stage one cancer of the stomach but is refusing help she just wants to see Thomas”

“You think it’s a setup my men have been staying in the village for couple days before we got here, I’ll ask them to dig deeper and watch the front and back exits of the pub to see who goes in and out and the car was check for a tracker there was none but we’ll switch cars tomorrow.

“Thank you Pete”. 

“Why don’t you insist that if she wants to see Thomas she goes to see the specialist with you”, says Aaron.

Robert calls Diane and tell her his conditions “She said okay”.

“Before I knew she was going to say no, I had already book an appointment for her to see someone tomorrow the appointment stills stands it’s at ten tomorrow”.

“Great while you go with her, we’ll go shopping in Leeds we’ll all meet up at the pub for one o’clock”.

Aaron, Liv, his mum and Paddy are shopping in Leeds when they see Andy he sees them and walk the other way security calls to say he’s been following them. They all stop “Hello Andy any reasons why you’re following us?”, ask Aaron 

“Just wanted to say hi, it’s been a long time ten old years, I know I’m not your husbands favourite person. You guys staying in a hotel then”.

“Yeah”

“It’s a shame you guys don’t live on …..street anymore”.

Robert and his security had every adult family member do hostage training, when you belong to a family worth billions. People want to use you to get money, Liv and Chas rolled their eyes when it was suggested but to look at their faces as Andy spoke you won’t know the shock they were all feeling at the knowledge that Andy Sugden knew Roberts address that they were staying at.

“Yeah it’s a shame”, smiles Aaron but it’s still comfortable it’s a hotel after all”.

“Well goodbye see you around” they all watch as he leaves.

They call security over “He knows the address he was just fishing to see if we were staying there, we need to get back and pack”, says Chas

“Robert is expecting you at the pub you need to go people would have been told you are going to be there, I’ll get on to Pete. There are plans put in place already in case some one followed you back, we’ll move the stuff out of the house Robert will have the details of where you will be staying”, says one of the security 

They listened to their security and drive to the pub, “I’ve never been so happy we each have personal security in my life I’m going to kiss that boy when I see him, none of our faces showed shock none. Please don’t be after Robert dear god please let him be okay”, prays Chas.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey back to Emmerdale continues to cause more questions to be ask.

They get to the pub and sees Robert waiting for them true to her words Chas kisses him right on the lips he looks shock “I’ll explain later” she says.

“Diane comes from around the back “Chas, Paddy lovely to see ya what can I get you all”

Robert sees all the adult Dingles in the pub “Marlon hurries from round the back Diane I’ll see to them, Debbie take Diane round the back and make her a cup of tea”, Debbie gets Diane “You should be resting you’re feeling sick I won’t be leaving you till you fall asleep”.

Robert and the others may have to keep up appearances but they were being super careful when Diane was in earshot of them. Marlon said “Chas called Charity and told her what happen you have to know none of us would do that to our Aaron and Chas and those kids, you’re all Dingles we look after our own you know that. Debbie always left the kids with Andy when she visited for that reason alone so they couldn’t tell him”.

Robert looked at Marlon “I don’t think for one second any of you did, I wouldn’t have let you guys inside my home otherwise”.

If someone was really looking in the pub they would notice for people that didn’t seem close to Aaron and Robert they all were sitting very close to them. Charity who had come over by then said “Don’t worry, we’ll keep our ear to the ground see what we can find out”, then more loudly she said “What can I get you guys”, then whispers “Marlon will make it fresh give you guys a chance to talk”   
Pasta bake for the whole clan that will do you”. Aaron and the others nod in agreement to her.

He goes to put something in her hands “That better not be money”, she whispered to him.

When she gets to the till she takes ten pence out her pocket and put it in the till for appearances sake. Then brings drinks over for everyone when she’s done she takes the note out of her pocket Robert gave her under no circumstances must you trust Diane or any of her lot it reads, she goes round the back and shows it to Marlon before burning it.

Robert tells them that there is another appointment with Diane tomorrow and in two days to get results from test he insisted on because he wasn’t leaving till they checked her out, but the surgeon a old school friend of Poppy’s doctor husband tells him she’s looked at the notes and Diane doesn’t currently have cancer, she did several months back but it was taken out and she got the all clear 

She is literally doing these test because I insisted but a scope down her throat and blood test is what she will do.

“So she has been there before but how would she have paid for it, her lot don’t have that kind of money and you didn’t know”, says Aaron

“Did they say who was at the appointment with her”, ask Chas

“I did ask but she wouldn’t tell me, because Diane told her it was okay to talk about her medical issues with me and nothing else while I was at the appointment at the hospital with her. She took me to the side because she thought maybe something was wrong with her memory”.

“That’s just so..,

“I think we’re all thinking that Liv love”, says Chas.

They signal to Charity “This place gossip like no ones busy so clearly no one knew wait, Rob as anyone come up to you asking how Diane is? Robert shakes his head no.

“Come to think about it, Katie didn’t mention it to you yesterday Robert, she’s the type to use something like that to get you to talk to her but she didn’t”, says Aaron”She didn’t..”

“Because she doesn’t know” finishes Paddy.

Marlon comes over with the meals they tuck in and Debbie sits by her dad and Marlon brings her a plate as well. “I want you to know says Moria you kept my boy in work and I understand him being with Vic meant the friendship had to end but I wouldn’t betray you like that”.

“We know”, says Robert and Aaron together they finished their meals and say goodbye and leave. Aaron knew Robert had a lot of houses he owed well they owned he thought but for some reason he never thought he had many in Leeds. They stayed at one of his other houses that was free, he just wanted to lay down and nap so he and Robert did just that when they woke up it was after five, He walked into the living room to see new iPhones on the table. 

“We don’t know if it’s a leak I can’t see my men betraying the family some of them have been working with you for ten years you have been wonderful to us. We feel like family, but clearly something is going on people have information they shouldn’t. I have given everyone new phones including your relatives Mr Merrick” he looks at Aaron. The new numbers are all programmed in the family’ phone. They call their kids and Poppy listens as Robert tells her everything that’s happen.

“I thought he was a farmer maybe he’s got a really good job, it’s odd for him to be coming out of a store that sells, what’s the word Liv used before when she was telling me about her former bully Uber expensive. She said he had bags in his hands from different stores, something to think about, come on kids say hello to your dad and sister and uncles”.

When the call is over “Andy and Katie are still together I’m assuming but where is the money coming from”, wondered Robert out loud. They all make a meal together and made a list of questions that needed to be answered.

The next day Robert went with Diane to the hospital clearly Poppy had spoken to the doctor, as she was more pleasant but abrupt when speaking with Diane.

Aaron went to see Zak and Lisa “Lovely to see ya lad, come here, big time vet we’re are all so proud of you and Liv son, Zak and Lisa start crying and hugging him. Zak continues “You never forgot your family son you never did, never once had we visited you and we had to pay for our tickets. You could have stayed home with the kids but you didn’t, you studied and now you’re working along side our Paddy, didn’t I always tell you how clever you are”.

“You always did uncle Zak”

“And your mum an accountant working in a big accountancy firm our Liv a university graduate working in a big gallery in London, mark my words I bet she ends up at that Tate Modern, I’ve been reading up on stuff you guys are interested in our lad”. 

The talked till Liv and Chas and Paddy joined them “I was thinking says Paddy since we’re here why don’t we check over the livestock, he and Aaron checked all the animals over they had just finished when Moria calls saying since they were at Lisa’s and Zak if they could stop by a pregnant cow was in distress they drive over to the farm and check the cow over she was having difficulty giving birth, Aaron ran to Paddy’s Range Rover and look in the trunk Paddy was well prepared, he took the bag with the equipment and something to cover his clothes and ran to the cow Paddy watched him as he safely deliver the calf, he checks it over and stitched up its mother. “OMG that’s amazing, Vic comes see this Aaron just delivered a calf”

Arron, Moria and Paddy turn at the voice they were so focused on the delivery they didn’t hear him approach. Adam hugs Aaron “Yes lad, it’s good to see ya” Aaron hugs him back please don’t tell Vic I’m a vet”.

“Moving on up in the world ain’t you, good on you, you deserve everything you got. I’ll keep quite I promise”.

Vic comes in the barn “Aaron” she says coldly, “What did you shout babe it sounded like you said Aaron delivered a calf” 

“Na I got it wrong”

“Why is he wearing gloves and plastic covering if he didn’t”

“ He just helped that’s all, he cleaned the calf up”, she leaves “Moira kisses Adam “Thanks for not saying anything’.

“Will Someone please tell me what’s going on”

“I can’t right now, I just need you to trust me”

“Is this about the secret holiday Diane went on”

‘Her holiday wasn’t a secret”says Moria “We’ll know she went away for two weeks couple months ago, everyone but Adam realised the significant of what she just said. Adam looks from Moria”s face giving her away to Aaron and Paddy’s passive one.

“Why is it secret Adam”, ask Moria 

‘ I promised Vic I won’t say,”, he looks fearful “Is something wrong, why don’t you trust Vic mom?”

“I can’t say anything to you Adam, I’m sorry just trust me ok”

He hugs her “Always” mum “Always”

Aaron gets a message on his phone from Robert “on way back to pub meet you there”

“It was lovely to see you again Adam but we have to go”, he hugs Moria and Adam.

They get to the pub before Robert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are still enjoying it


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mystery is solved with a shocking conclusion

Aaron was in the car with Liv, “When she went on holiday she was having surgery instead I’m sure of it”

“I Think you’re right, maybe Andy payed for it but why keep it secret, he would have told everyone bragged about taking care of her. She had cancer and only her family seems to know, now she saying she has it but people don’t know not even Katie who’s Andy’s wife. She tells Charity who she knows will keep it private and not gossip about it which she hasn’t”.

“Andy is the key to all this, she would lie for him but why. Why is it so important Robert comes back here? His he planning on killing him?”. 

Robert listening on the phone with his head of security said “He won’t get a chance to Aaron, we are well guarded”.

“Oh unfortunately Victoria was on the phone to Katie when Adam said what he did and Katie’s repeated it to the pub I’m afraid”

“So what they know!, that can be a problem she will go on the internet and try to find information out about me to verify the claim or not”

“Liv your social media is all set to private isn’t it?”

“Yes”

“Good”, says Robert.

We need to find out about what Katie knows and get her to tell us where Andy is”.

Aaron and the others get to the pub and Robert and Pete exit the car and they all walk in the Pub.

They order drinks Katie comes over “Is it true you’re a vet Aaron?”

“Paddy is the vet Katie you know that”

“You’re not answering my question”.

“Yet that’s the only answer you’ll get”.

“Why are you guys in town anyway, I mean you guys are cordial to the Dingles but I didn’t think you guys would come and visit them, they don’t talk about you guys like at all”.

“Why are you always in the pub don’t you have a job to go to?. 

“Diane, said you was coming I took the week off, I didn’t realise the rest of them was coming”.

Chas was looking at her coldly “You were going to try to seduce him”, Katie blush “I don’t know what Andy sees in you”.

“We’re separated at the moment”.

They all ponder that, the next day Robert went with Diane for her results as expected she was cancer free. He went back with Diane to see the pub was close “Not opening today”

“I told charity I wanted some rest I didn’t know what the Doctor would say to me, do you think you could bring Thomas to see me tomorrow, “I’ll get Charity to open the pub now there is nothing to worry about. If you come for twelve I’ll make sure all the Sugdens are here and I’ll close the pub for couple hours we can celebrate my good news and I can see my grandson. Thomas Sugden, Jack would have loved that name”.

“We will ask some of the Dingles as well Yeah after all Charity knows it’s good news”

“”I rather it was just family, if you don’t mind Robert”

“I’m afraid Aaron and Chas knows and they would be upset if i didn’t bring them”

You make sense just them mind”.

“Okay, says Robert “See you tomorrow”.

When Aaron and others got to the house Aaron and Robert started arguing “You’re not doing this Robert, you’re not going in there what’s going to happen when Andy realises that Thomas isn’t with you, I’m beginning to think that Thomas is the real target here, he clearly wants to hurt our son.

Roberts phone rings it’s Poppy, he puts it on speaker, what she tells them horrify them. They decided to go through with seeing Diane tomorrow, they then call the Dingles and explain things to them Cain volunteers to do something very brave for them.

The next day Aaron, Chas and Robert turn up at the front of the pub Charity let them in “Don’t worry it will be fine, we got your back, she let them in and put up a close sign on the door. Diane comes through from the back along with Victoria who looked like she didn’t want to be there along with Adam. Aaron and Robert were stunned they weren’t expecting to see him they take a seat and soon they were joined by Katie and Andy. 

“I’m sorry about the wedding I was out of line to carry on the way I did, you’re my brother I should have been more understanding”, Andy stretches out a hand for Robert to shake but he didn’t he just said “Thank you for the apology”.

“The door to the back opens and in walks Rachel, Andy walks over to her and kisseses her.

“What the hell”, says a shocked Katie. Rebecca what are you doing, you two have been seeing each other behind my back you are the one who broke up my marriage and why is he calling you Rachel.”.

“I don’t have time for this she goes in her bag and takes a gun out “You bring my son here now and I may think about not killing you when I shoot you”. 

“What the hell you know my brother”, ask Andy 

“This is my ex wife Andy who wanted to aborted the child she’s now pointing a gun at me to get”

“Is this true”, ask Diane and Victoria. 

“Make the call”, says Rachel, Robert takes out his phone and have a conversation with someone he hangs up. “They’ll be here in thirty five minutes to an hour there is traffic in Leeds City Centre apparently”. 

“How did you find out about Emmerdale I never told you about my family”

“After my third divorce my husband got custody of the kids, he payed me to get out their lives for good”

”Why would he do that?”, ask Chas 

“He was convince I was a danger to them, he found out about my second husband”

“The one who beat you up?”, ask Arron 

“Turns out He didn’t really, I paid someone to do it I realise you were worth a lot more than the few millions I thought you had. I figured I could get Thomas and get a lot in child maintenance. Unfortunately my husband at the time had an air tight alibi which he proved. I got charge with making a false statement, I became a pariah on the social scene. I met my third husband in France lived there with him for a bit.

I Came back to England two years ago and started wondering why you chose Home Farm to live instead of the expensive parts of Leeds initially. I came into this pub and heard Andy talking about you and I saw on in so I befriended him and Katie separately started an affair with him. He told Diane and Victoria about me I insisted on it. I took them to some nice places gave them couple shopping sprees and they loved me and kept me a secret from foolish Katie here.

I befriended her I knew she wanted you Robert and I used that she was desperate to find you to get her to ask you a ton of questions when she told me that you were here. I acted surprise of course when she told me, but I wasn’t after all, it was me that had Diane pretended to you that the cancer had come back. 

I payed for her to go private when she really had the cancer and started putting this plan in place then. The funny thing is she’s never bought Thomas a gift or a card since he was born and was only too happy to help me get back my son”.

“He’s not your son”, shouts Robert. 

“Give me my son Robert you have thirty minutes I have explosives in my bag”. They were murmurs from people in the bar.

“How did you know where I was staying when I came back here?”

“I was lucky enough to meet someone who went there once, I figured you would go back there. A new family is in Home Farm. I tried to get information from your friends but none of them talked you lied to me they weren’t just acquaintances of yours they were your friends. I know how the friendships groups are with you lot you sticked together you’re all like a cult”.

“It’s call being loyal try it sometime”

“Oh Robert, Robert twenty minutes left”.

“You’ve rang out of money” realises Aaron 

“Whose money was Andy spending that day he was tailing us”, ask Chas

“I took some loans out I can’t paid off and a lot of it’s on credit”.

“I thought your husband paid you off”, ask Robert 

“Two million pounds doesn’t go very far, when you’re trying to bag a rich husband it’s expense. If I didn’t know any better I would say people have been told to stay away from me, warned off me”.

“Maybe they had by your ex-husband, says Charity”

“He doesn’t have the clout and compare to Robert he’s a pauper, now I know just how much he’s actually worth”.

“How much is that?” ask Adam”

“I maybe standing here holding a gun but I’m not stupid enough to say anything”, she looks at Robert that’s why you made the prenup so iron clad”.

“I’m not stupid enough to talk”.

“You used me”, says Diane

Rachel smiles at her “No you chose a stranger over your stepson and step grandson that you didn’t give a toss about, you all did ten minutes left”.

“I’m thirsty can we get some drinks”, ask Aaron 

Rachel takes Andy and point a gun at his head “Diane make some drinks”.

There is a knock at the front door Robert goes to open it but Charity he knew never locked it, he made a show of pretending unlocking it, he sees Cain and a lot of police cars. Cain comes in and Robert hugs Issac as Rachel let go of Andy, Robert shoves Issac back outside. 

Rachel starts shouting as she did she didn’t hear the door to the back being open and Pete and two officers walk up quietly behind her as an officer goes to disarm her she fires a shot hitting Diane in the stomach, Robert tackles her to the floor and Aaron takes the gun out of her hands.

“I got to see my boy at least”, she shouts 

“That was my son you idiot”, says Cain 

As the officers were taking her away Robert says wait “Why did your ex think you were a danger to your other kids”.

“I tried to poison him”.

“Thank you for that” Rachel looks at him weirdly Robert takes the recording device he was wearing and shows her, wait there is more”, says Charity. She takes another recorder from it’s hiding place and starts playing the tape “Backup”.

Rachel was read her rights and Diane was put in an ambulance Robert didn’t go with her, the betrayal wound was fresh, Andy, Katie and Victoria may not have know who “Rachel really was ”, but she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments welcome, did you figure it out before hand?


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the siege with some focus on Liv

Robert and his family exited the pub to see police everywhere they were surrounded by bodyguards. “Robert wait”, he turns to look at Victoria and sees Andy and Katie looking at him. Chas and Aaron look on “This is your fault you took her child away from her”.

Andy looks at his sister like he was seeing her for the first time “She poisoned her husband do you think she wouldn’t have hurt Thomas because she would have given half a chance, the women clearly has issues she shot Diane, took us hostage”.

“From what I can tell you lied about how rich you were, she just wanted what was hers”.

“Stay away from me I want nothing to do with you Victoria”. 

“Just how rich are you Robert?”, ask Katie , “It must be a lot for her to do what she did”, she get a piece of paper out of her coat and starts writing on it she reaches her hand out to him, here’s my number call me sometime”.

Aaron, Robert and Chas look at them like they just grown four heads and turn around and walk away without saying a word “Wow”, they hear Charity say “You three don’t even give a damn about Diane who’s been shot, just having a go at Robert and trying to pick up a man who’s been in a ten year marriage”. 

They get back to where they were staying to see Poppy “The kids are asleep, there is no way to keep it out the paper but lucky for us there will be a court case so they will be limited in what they can print for now. Daddy’s papers will be careful in what they print”. 

She hugs each of them they sit down and are bought tea and sandwiches.

They eat in silence “She admitted to everything including the poisoning how did you fine out?” Ask Chas

“All those parties that I throw I make sure that the ones not throw at my house had a friend of hers there they were so happy for the invite they spilled her secrets. Couple years back I heard a sometimes friends of hers was bragging to Rachel she came to my house and Robert and I agreed it was the best way to try to keep an eye on her as we knew she would make a play for Thomas again.

An ex-friend got in touch with a friend of a friend, Rachel got drunk and called her to tell her she will have her son soon, her friend didn’t think it was a good idea so try to get in touch with me urgently when she told me what Rachel was going to do I called you guys yesterday and you know the rest”.

Robert look round “We have to speak to the police and as soon as we do we’re going home, Emmerdale is like a poison it drains the life out of you”.

Pete comes in to the room “The local paper has pick up the story”, he hands Robert the paper they see the headline.

Billionaire and his multimillionaire husband held at gun point by crazy ex wife. They didn’t read the rest that was for another day.

“Adam knew that Diane had cancer the first time round, remember what he said at the farm Aaron”

“OMG!he did Robert you’re not going to like it but I need to go back to Emmerdale and speak to Moria and it gives me a chance to see how the calf and its mother are doing”.

“You’re going to let him go from the business?”, ask Robert

Aaron nods

The next day Aaron and Paddy went to see Moria to look on the calf and its mother they told Moria they were coming so they were surprise to see as they were in the middle of checking on their patients Adam, Victoria, Katie and Andy were at the door watching them.

“So you really are a vet then”, says Katie. Aaron ignored her and check how some of the stitches he put on the mother was holding up, when he finished he shouted for Moria and tells her everything seems fine but he wanted the mother to have a course of antibiotics he wrote down some instructions for her on a piece of paper. 

“Give this to your normal vet it shown what we have done”

“I’ll like to wash my hands then Paddy and I will be leaving, by the way Adam you’re fired”. Moria look ashen face. “You were coming to tell me and explain why weren’t you?”. 

Aaron says nothing just washes his hands and leaves.

He’s in his car about to drive away when he sees Cain coming into the yard “Come to check upon the calf? thank you for doing that our kid I know you’ll want to go home as soon as possible I appreciate it”

“You’re family Cain it wasn’t an issue, I’m going to call you later when we’re in the country but you should know I’ve fired Adam he knew about Diane having cancer and Rachel paying for it. He mentioned a secret trip she took but nothing else yesterday when we were delivering the calf. You should know that everyone that was in the pub apart from our family was watching me today checking up on the calf, they’re probably having a drink with Moria now”. 

Aaron could see the anger in Cains face he touch his arm and drove off. Aaron was glad when they got back to the country he took two weeks off work wanting to spent time with his family. The newspaper articles had died down none of their friendship circle would talk so they went to see if offering Liv’s friends money would make them talk nothing of her friends she met since Robert came into their lives did. 

They found out a colleague of hers did talk but she only saw her in work so there wasn’t a lot in the article. The women was fired from her job Liv didn’t let the newspaper articles get her down she heard through their solicitor they tried to get information about her and the adoption but that was quickly sorted out. 

Gabby was in the paper saying how they were good friends and Liv changed when she got money but she was willing to forgive her if she got in touch with a picture of Gabby in the article looking very glamorous. 

Not for the first time Liv understood why her dad had such a great tight friendship group and why in the eleven years she had know Robert only two more people was allowed in the inner circle. She realised she and her friends were like that as well, people and newspapers just saw them as rich heiresses with a very plum accent who have gone to some of the best public school in the country. 

“There was a picture in the paper of her and her friends at la bal des debutantes in Paris when they were eighteen the coming of age ball for the children of the elite. She was lucky to be in a relationship with her escort from that night, even though she was asexual he didn’t mind he loved her and she loved him and she did want to be a mother just as he wanted to be a father they did have sex every once in a while and she did enjoy it but he understand about her asexuality and all it entailed in regards to her and if it came to it they would do IVF. 

She knew the newspaper articles wasn’t that important because she already had her past looked into by the royal family and her mother was the only thing that was there and there would be no skeleton there, her mother had died three years previously and they all went to her funeral. She was dating a prince and her father and brother and Poppy loved him the two families got on very well. They were engaged and it would be made public in four weeks.

The royal family of his country saw the hostage situation for what it was and the queen met her for tea to see how she was and to make sure she was okay. The engagement announcement would change her life, it wasn’t too well known who she was dating in Britain, in her fiancés country the press was very respectful of the royal family.

She was soon to be princess to a Swedish prince she was so glad for her friends, none of them leaked the story to the papers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this before the show make clarification on the type of asexual she would be I’m haven’t changed it for this story because i had already written subsequent chapters and would therefore need to change the story towards the end.


	12. Chapter 12

It had been two weeks since they were taken hostage Aaron was in his study looking through some paper work when Moria rang him “Adam and I sat down and had a chat after you left you were right he did know about the cancer but was ask to keep it a secret, Andy confided in him he was cheating on Katie but didn’t tell him with who. He did know that Diane had said she had cancer again but respected his wife and kept quiet about it like she ask. The Sugdens were all in on it but they really didn’t know who Rachel was except for Diane, I think”.

They’re not speaking to each other now, Diane is still in the hospital and press people have been here trying to get the Dingles to talk. I need you to know I won’t talk I understand why you let Adam go. Just you remember these people here haven’t seen you and and Robert in a long time, Robert was sixteen when he left there is no story of any significant they know to tell about you guys that’s all I wanted to say”, she hangs up

Robert walks in with one of the twins Aaron runs towards his daughter and picks her up “How is my little munchkin today he kisses her cheeks “Papa can I get some more paints and brushes please. I want to paint Livy a picture”

“Charlotte that’s a lovely thing to do for your big sister”

“She’s sad and daddy always cheers up when I paint him a picture”

“I always do, but we don’t need to buy anymore just ask nanny there is plenty brushes and paints in the cupboard, ok”, says Robert putting her down

“Okay daddy” she replies as she leaves the room

“Moria called the press are still sniffing around Emmerdale but she really called to say that she won’t talk to them and that your siblings and Adam knew about the lie but not who Rachel really was but she’s sure Diane knew”.

“That just confirmed what we figured out already”, says Robert “We need to talk to Liv I know she wasn’t in the pub with us but it would have been hard on her too, her engagement is being announced in four weeks then she’s gone away from us and it will be seeing our daughter on tv and in the papers. I want us to all go on a family holiday for two weeks when we come back she will have been packed up and moved into the palace”

“Rob, that’s a great idea she’s finished work completely in two days right”, Robert nods.

That night they have Liv on speaker phone “Liv we would like to go on a family vacation together before you leave us for royal life”, says Robert. Liv starts to cry down the phone “It’s been bothering me having to leave you guys I’m leaving my country, my siblings, my brother. Do you know why I went to Emmerdale with you guys I wanted us there united for them all to see plus I got to see the old place one last time”.

I’m learning royal protocol I have two private secretaries and Erik keeps telling me to just leave work now and dad I don’t think I want to finish the week at work does that make me a bad person?”.

“Of course not Liv why don’t you come by tonight and stay with us till we go on this holiday that way you get some extra days with us”, replies Robert 

“I love you guys you know”. 

“We love you too” says Arron and Robert together.

“I’ll let Erik know about the change of plans and inform my secretaries”

“It’s weird to know that you have to inform palace staff about everything now”, says Robert 

“At least I’m use to having security every where I go from a young age, do you think Chas and Paddy can come on the holiday too?” ask Liv

“I’ll ask them see you guys later”

“See you in a bit love” 

Aaron and Robert look at each other “Gosh it suddenly got real she will be leaving us”, says a sorrowful sounding Robert.

“That reminds me”, says Aaron we need to start working on our statement for when the engagement is announced”

“After the holiday”, says Robert 

Dinner that night was a joyful affair Liv arrived by helicopter and her siblings were happy to see her. Charlotte show her big sister a picture she painted for her and Liv promised to frame it like she did with the others. She and Liv were speaking in Swedish all of the family had learnt the language after a year of Liv’s romance with the prince, while the royal family spoke excellent English when Liv started learning the language Aaron and Robert decided the family would join her. They knew Liv wouldn’t do something like that if she wasn’t serious about the guy.

They went to a private island in the Caribbean and took the time to enjoy themselves as a family they knew between the wedding and Rachel’s trial there was a lot coming up for them to do, Chas and Paddy and the kids came it was their last chance to have this family dynamic with Liv again. 

When the two weeks were up they went back to work and and school, Liv moved to Sweden. Aaron and Robert went with her they didn’t care if it made them look over protective they said their goodbyes for now to her there and went home to their other kids.

Aaron and Robert were home all alone and Robert covered his eyes and led him to their bedroom where he had roses and candles and champagne chilling he uncovers Aaron’s eyes. 

“Robert this is lovely”, Aaron turns and kisses him.

“We deserve some alone time”, he starts undressing Aaron when Arron is completely naked he looks over his body approvingly Aaron was still very toned and even thou they were now in their thirties he still had the body of a twenty something. Aaron blushes and starts undressing Robert stopping to enjoy himself as he went along with Robert moaning as he does so. He pushes him backwards on the bed and starts to make love to him.

They’re in a post cortical bliss when Aaron leans over Robert and picks his phone up “Come on time to get up the kids will be here soon we need to have a shower and get dress”

“Did I forget to mention the kids are staying at Poppy’s for the whole weekend”

“She didn’t mind?”

Robert shakes his head “With Poppy having Emma at seventeen and her fleeing the nest, she’s happy to have Charlotte and Her brother to play with her six and eight year old kids, she says it reminds her of having Emma, Lucy and Liv there when they were younger but in some ways we got a second chance with these kids as they will know each other all their lives”.

Aaron smiled “All that free time how will we ever occupy our time I wonder?, he smirks 

“Robert pushes him towards the bathroom “Go shower I’ll join you in a minute I just want to change the sheets”.

“Don’t take too long old man”, Robert throws a pillow at his head he dodges it and smiles

“You’re two years younger than me Aaron”, he laughs

When they showered Robert pick Aaron up over his shoulder and drop him on the bed “I’ll show you who’s old”. 

“Seriously That was the best sex of my life, I must remember to push your buttons like that from time to time”

The weekend came and went Aaron couldn’t look the security guys in the eyes out of sheer embarrassment it wasn’t hard to deduce what they were doing all weekend leaving the bedroom to come down stairs for food only.


	13. Chapter 13

Robert and Aaron were at Poppy’s it was the afternoon before the engagement announcement they knew the press couldn’t get through the security at the house but they also didn’t want to have the younger kids subjected to cameras in their faces. 

They had done a statement for the press which was to be given to the press in the morning “You do realise your lives will be change forever from tomorrow’s, the press will be trying to find out everything they can they will be one hundred times worse that they were with the kidnapping”, says Poppy

“Liv’s is the one who’s life will change forever from tomorrow, at least I know she has the best protection looking after her”, says Robert.

“It was a pleasure being that mother figure to her along with Chas you know”

“We appreciate everything you did”, says Aaron hugging her.

“She went from a timid shy ten year old girl into an articulate, strong, compassionate young woman, You two did that”, says Poppy

“Is there anyway it can come out about you and Jack?” ask Aaron 

“The only people that know the truth is our circle of friends and they haven’t betrayed us yet and they all knew who Liv was dating for the last four years. I’m glad she’s got a good group of friends who’s trustworthy she’s going to need them”, replies Robert 

“The problem will be Emmerdale the Dingles won’t talk, I know the lot of them want to move now they can’t stomach what the Sugdens did and being there. Charity isn’t even staying at the pub she parts owns anymore”.

“This is a good time to get them away from there before the reporters descend like wolves tomorrow, they could stay at yours till it dies down there is all those free rooms”, says Poppy 

Robert gets his phone out and sent a mass text out to the Dingles his and Aaron’s phone start ringing. They tell them to bring enough stuff to last couple weeks and Robert calls to arrange the train tickets for them. 

Aaron wander how Moria would feel about leaving without Adam, but she was done with her son he and Victoria was still together. 

Aaron and Robert walked into their house later that night with Jacob, Mathew and Charlotte to see the Dingles sat at the dining table eating dinner. Jack and Sarah was with Debbie “I’m going for sole custody”, she said when she sees Robert looking at the kids.

Jacob, Mathew, Char, this is your cousin Sarah and Jack why don’t you guys go play in the playroom”, says Aaron.

The kids walk out hand in hand.

“Why the urgency Aaron?”, ask Cain

“You know that fellow Liv is seeing, she’s engaged to him and it’s going to be announced tomorrow. We wanted to get you guys out of there before the international press descent on Emmerdale”, says Robert.

“That’s wonderful news luv, but it doesn’t explain why press would be interested in us, I don’t understand you just announced it to us what’s the big deal?”, ask Lisa 

“It’s who she’s marrying it’s someone important”, says Aaron 

“Who we all met her Swedish fellow”, says Debbie

“Her Swedish fellow is a prince”, says Robert the room is silent.

“Our Liv is gonna be a princess, a real life princess”, says Charity “She deserves it”

“Did you not trust us to keep the secret?”, says Sam 

“It’s not that, we trust you with our lives but everything had to be kept secret if it got out before the palace wanted it to there would be no engagement now. You just saw him as her Swedish fellow you laughed and joked with him would you have felt comfortable doing that knowing who he was”.

“I see your point lad, we’ve seen how it has been with our own royalty”, says Zack.

“It goes without saying “No comment will be our new motto”.

“Did Chas know the truth?”, ask Debbie 

“Yes she and Paddy and Poppy and Liv’s friends”, says Robert 

“The trusted circle”, says Charity “I’m not having a go, we get it these people whist you have been here have been your extended family, you rely on them and they on you. After the stunt the Sugdens pull us Dingles have come to realise why you needed to be so secretive.

“Aaron and I were talking and we would help you all to move out of Emmerdale. Cain, Moria, Zak, Lisa we could buy you both a small holding somewhere. The others we could help you with a home while you figure out what to do. If you never want to set foot in Emmerdale again, We can arrange everything including schools for the kids etc.

“That would be great”, say Debbie.”I want to get the garage sold if you’re okay with that dad” Cain nods “And sort school out for the kids the local compressive should be fine”. I know Chas kids are in private school, I can’t afford that and don’t want you paying for it either. You and our Aaron are paying enough getting us lot sorted”.

Aaron and Robert have dinner bought to them while everyone else at the table decides what they wanted to do.

The next day the announcement was made and Robert, Aaron and the Dingles watched the news report about it and saw a picture of themselves come up on screen along with their statement. Everyone wanted to know about Liv’s background and breeding, they watch the newsreader talk about Liv’s father being a duke and a billionaire and his husband being a millionaire. 

They left the Dingles watching the tv and decided to make pancakes in the kitchen with their youngest children who were home from school, then once they finished in the kitchen they sat down and had breakfast with their children, then they went for a walk together around the estate with all three kids riding their bikes after lunch lunch they went for a swim and they put them to bed together.

“I really enjoyed today it was great we need to do that more often”, says Robert in bed that night

“We really do”, says Aaron 

The bedside phone rings Aaron puts it on speaker, it was Liv calling to say hello and to tell them what the next steps would be in regards to the wedding. They finish speaking to her and end the call, “My husband the heartthrob” laughs Aaron. 

“She said you were though of as one as well”, says Robert 

“There is no way I can go into work for the next couple of weeks without it causing interruptions to the practice I’ve told Paddy to get a Locum in so I’m free, it’s going to be nice to be home when the kids come home from school”

“I’m going to join you, no going to London for meetings I’ll conference call it in, I love our time away with the kids. You and I get to spent the day before the kids come home together”, says Robert 

“You forget my family is here”

“I haven’t forgotten but there is staff to help them out although tomorrow and the following day I have to sort couple things out for them, I’m sure Oscar can take over after that, he’s my PA let him earn his money”.

“So while Oscar is sorting out my family what will we be doing all day?”, ask Aaron 

Robert raises an eyebrow at him and smiles at him “Let me show you” he removes Aaron underwear

“I’m totally on board with this plan” laughs Aaron 

The next morning they all had breakfast together when the kids realise their dads were still there, Charlotte ask Aaron to put her hair in plaits for her when Debbie offered to do it she insisted she didn’t want her to do it. “Daddy”, says Charlotte 

“Yes”, replies Aaron looking into the blue eyes that match his own

Can you braid it into two then add some bubbles at the ends like my friend Jemma have hers done please”

“Sure sweetie”

Aaron walks upstairs with Charlotte and get the comb and serum for her hair then begin parting it

“I’m glad you and daddy is taking me to school today I wish you could ever day”

“Your dad and I are off work for couple weeks so we will be taking you in then I’m going to try to take you in couple days a weeks so will daddy okay”.

“Ok”, she sits for him to braid her hair when he finished they walk back downstairs together. Robert was with their sons making sure they had everything they needed for school. They got in the car with them and they were driven to school the school principal came to meet them at the gate “I’ll keep on eye on them, the staff are aware they can’t talk to the press congratulations by the way on your daughter marriage”.

“The kids love it here I don’t want to have to send them to another school”, says Robert 

“This school cost a lot of money per term you’re getting a lot of money from us each year with all three kids here”, adds Aaron

They go back home and while Robert put things in place for the Dingles to fully leave Emmerdale Aaron decided to make the kids one of their favourite thing to eat from scratch Shepard’s pie.


	14. Chapter 14

That evening at dinner Aaron realises just how much he missed being there when the kids came home from school but he understood he couldn’t have his career and be there for them, for now he would do his best to take them to school on his way to work. Robert had periods when he was home a lot of the time and once he was able to Aaron would buy into the practice.

The wedding day came six months after the engagement Robert walked Liv down the aisle to look at him you wouldn’t realise how nervous he was but Aaron knew. Liv’s side of the church had a lot of people the Dingles, Poppy and her family and Liv’s friends were all there. Emma and Lucy were adult bridesmaids and Charlotte and the grooms cousins and younger sister along with Poppy’s youngest daughter maid up the younger ones.

Aaron was very proud Liv had all her siblings in the wedding party Thomas stood there a copy of Robert green eyes and blonde hair at almost twelve he was already five foot ten, Jacob had the same mop of blonde hair as his brother but his eyes were blue. They had used the same surrogate for both pregnancies the twins were Aaron through and through same brunette hair and blue eyes. 

Aaron looked at his family as they walked in the church as he sees Liv and Robert walking down the aisle he remembers them moving into home farm and watching Robert helping Liv with her homework, then he remembers Liv coming home with a test where she scored very high. Robert telling Liv how talented she was when he saw her art for the first time. He remembers meeting her for the first time seeing how unhappy she was, how she though she wasn’t really worth anything how she hated a stranger she didn’t know, he remembers the weeks getting her to open up to him and the set backs they had. He watches them reach the alter and sees Liv half turns to give her sister her bouquet he watches Charlotte smiles at her and reach up and kisses her “Love you Livy”, she says

“To the moon and back”, replies Liv. The ceremony begins and after Roberts part is over he sits by Aaron and takes his hands and they watch the ceremony together. When it’s over and they’re at the reception and Robert hears Liv referred to as Princess Olivia it hits him his baby girl was living a brand new life that he would only be a part of sometimes.

That night staying in the castle with the kids the tears came, in a way they were saying goodbye to their daughter she couldn’t just come and visit them anymore. Aaron was trying not to break down they still would call and he knew they would visit each other but for Liv the crown took precedent.

They went back to England some what subdued but time passes and the court case for Rachel began both Aaron and Robert gave evidence in court along with Chas and Charity and the Sugdens. Diane ask him if she could have a word he declined to speak to her, Andy gave him a letter in which he apologise for what happen they didn’t read it. Chas took it and opened it turns out he was asking for money to help fight Debbie who had custody of the kids Chas burned the letter.

Three months after the wedding they found out they were going to be grandparents Liv told them before her husband “You’re happy about it aren’t you Liv”, ask robert 

“I’m dad what if it’s too soon for Erik?”

“Tell him he’ll be happy about it”, says Robert couple hours later she called back to say he was excited to be a dad and as she was only five weeks pregnant they were waiting till she passed the twelve week mark to tell people.

When Rachel was found guilty of false imprisonments and other charges she was sentenced to ten years. Since they had proof she did poison her third husband charges were brought against her for that. 

Robert knew Thomas was at an age to understand what his mother   
did and they put him in counselling they knew it would take time for him to get his head around the fact the women who came birth to him almost killed his dads and wanted him just for money. He knew he was loved and wanted by his dads and he had friends he knew from childhood who had his back he saw how his dads and sister’s friends were close knit and he was determined to have that as well.

He decline leaving boarding school but he made sure to see and call his dads as often as he could. Aaron was in the kitchen making his youngest son a turkey and cheese sandwich “I’m loving us being here for when Mathew and Charlotte come home from school”, says Robert making the rest of them a tuna panini. “I’m glad I only go away now for business when there is no other choice, I don’t think the twins wanted to go away to school either”.

“It would be lovely to have them here, got couple years before they make their minds up about that beside Charlotte was saying she wouldn’t mind going to the same school Liv did or Cheltenham Ladies College. If they go to the same school as their siblings they will be in the same county as us so it’s not too bad”, says Aaron .

“Charlotte, Mathew your snacks are ready” shouts Robert the twins bounce into the room “Can we go swimming later”, ask Mathew 

“When you’ve done your homework”, replies Aaron 

Later as they were sat beside their pool Aaron watches Robert play with the kids “Aren’t you coming in?” ask Robert

“Yet it’s just nice to be here like this with the kids just trying to remember everything for my memories later”, he jumps in the pool with his family and they play tag. Ten years later Aaron and Robert look around the empty living room they were now in their forties with two grandkids curtesy of Liv and Erik. Thomas was now living at home again so he can learn the family business from Robert as one day he would be in charge of it all. The twins were at oxford university with Poppy’s youngest. Jacob followed Aaron to Edinburg university and was studying to be a vet just like his dad who now own the Vet surgery with Paddy. 

Aaron and Robert were in London for a week enjoying some alone time together when Thomas called to see what time they think they would be back home. Having heard the concern in their sons’ voice they decided to cut the trip short.

When they return to the country it was to see that all the children were there with their spouses and children. Thomas was there with his wife Lily a pretty redhead he met at university who was a vet working with his dad. Jacob married Poppy’s daughter and they were expecting their first. Charlotte married one of their friends son who was called Issac who was heir to his dukedom. Mathew married Poppy’s son who would inherit her husband title making him a duke. Poppy had laugh about it, They would be in the same position has them now. 

“Liv what are you doing here, I thought you had to be on a tour or something”, says a very shock Robert. 

“Why don’t you both go shower and change clothes as been lifted out on the bed for you to change into”.

Aaron and Robert walk back down the stairs to hear surprise to see his Mum and Paddy and all their friends and grandkids looking back at them. All four kids walk towards them and take a hand each and lead them to the ballroom. “Happy thirtieth wedding anniversary dads they all say”. 

“There was no way you were celebrating it by yourself in London, we plan this for months I hope you like it”, says Liv. Robert looked at her and saw his daughter usually confident demiurge change into someone looking unsure of themselves. He hugs her no matter how old she was she was always is baby girl, he looks at Aaron who smiles at him they embrace all the kids “We love it and we loved every second of our lives with you thank you for the party”, says Aaron through tears. Since the kids were grown Aaron and Robert felt like they got a chance to experience their relationship for the first time with no other person to look after but each other. Seeing them although again in one room was wonderful it rarely happened anymore. 

When they’re thrown a party for their fiftieth wedding anniversary not everyone is alive to see it but they are grateful for the great- great grandkids who are there to witness it. 

When Robert is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Aaron often tell him the story of their lives and it seems to calm him, when he doesn’t remember him anymore and can no longer communicate with him. He holds his hands, when he gets violent with him he remembers the wonderful man who saved him in so many ways. When the nurse looking after him says he would be better in a home and Thomas tells him, his dad his staying at home. Aaron understood no one was going to take away his dad from him. When they put Robert in the ground Aaron couldn’t tell you one word of the funeral but as he pour dirt on the coffin in the ground he says very clearly “We were mean to be now and in every lifetime.

Some people call it Broken Heart Syndrome the kids knew when Aaron died two days later his heart just wouldn’t let him go on without Robert, after all how do you live without a missing piece of your heart. They were buried next to each other his tombstone read Here lies Aaron Merrick husband, father, friend, love of his husband life.


End file.
